


A different time

by miss_spottystockings



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Letters, M/M, Multi, Sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 06:11:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1334956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_spottystockings/pseuds/miss_spottystockings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set in the year 2000 Arthur Pendragon is 101, a young Meri Bennet who's great uncle was Merlin Embrys brings about a whole load of questions. <br/>Arthur tells her the secret he has been keeping for 60 years, the affair between himself and Merlin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A different time

**Author's Note:**

> The majority of the work will be written in letters. It is set in 2000, there might be historical inaccuracies.

Arthur Pendragon was born 1899, the turn of the century. He became the heir to one of the richest and oldest families in England as soon as he was born. He lived through two world wars and three centuries, but now he was an old man.

"Happy birthday Granddad" Richard, Arthur's great great grandson said as he looked up at the aged man, he presented a hand drawn card covered with glitter. Arthur smiled at the boy and slowly reached out a tired hand to receive it, "Thank you my boy" The child grinned and ran back to his mother who looked over fondly at her great grandfather. Arthur loved having the family with him and his birthday caused great excitement, he grew confused by the numerous children running around but knew that they were some relation to him. Arthur still was one of the richest men in England with close ties to the crown, but due to his age his affairs where dealt with by his son and granddaughter.

In his youth Arthur had moved many times during the year as was fashionable but now his permanent address was Pendragon manor, the house he spent summers in as a young adult. The house was large and old, much older than Arthur himself and had beautiful land unspoilt by time.

"My lord there is another visitor here to see you, may I admit her?" Asked Arthur's servant, Arthur just nodded his head and smiled "Yes yes the more the merrier"

A young woman walked in stumbling slightly, she was tall, for a woman, but still attractive. Her skin was pale, and she was healthily thin, high cheekbones stood out from her face and raven black hair cut short in a bob framed it.

"Happy Birthday Lord Arthur" The woman said as she entered, Arthur stared up at her, "I do not know your name miss" Arthur said reaching out his hand, she shook it gently, "Meri Bennet" She replied and Arthur nodded. "I was wondering if you remembered a man called Merlin Embrys?" Arthur's face instantly closed off , "what? why?" He asked looking at her closely

"He was my great uncle" Meri said, "I wanted to find out more about him, and I was going through some things, he worked for your family and I hoped you could tell me anything about him"

Arthur shook his head, "I am tired I do not want to talk about this" Meri nodded her head, "Okay, I am sorry, but please if you do here is my address" She left the card on the table and walked away, a sinking feeling sitting in her stomach.

Meri did not expect to here from the lord but the next week a letter arrived:

 

_Dear Miss Bennet_

_Please forgive my rudeness on the last meeting the truth is I knew Merlin very well, better maybe than any other, I had not had another speak of him in such a long time that you shocked me. I was 29 when he came to work at the summer house, the one I now live in permanently, it was 1928._

_Maybe it is time for an old man to reveal his last secret, before I die I would like some one to know._

_I would like to know though about Merlin from you and in exchange I will tell you all I remember._

_From_

_Arthur Pendragon_

**_Dear Lord Pendragon_ **

****

**_Thank you so much for getting in contact with me, Merlin was my great uncle, I know that he was born in 1909 in May but the date itself has been lost. My grandmother was Freya Bennet , she was Merlin's sister, she married and had my father who later married and had me._ **

**_Merlin passed away at the age of 87 in 1996, four years ago. He had been struggling with cancer for the last 3 years of his life and died peacefully in his home on the 23rd April._ **

****

**_I was 17 when my great uncle died and it was only recently that we started to go through his things. I then realised that I knew nothing of his early life, and I felt I wanted to understand him better. I looked up the records and found he was employed by you in 1928 till 1940 the outbreak of the second world war. I know he joined the war and was part of the air force, but what happened during the 12 years he worked for you?_ **

****

**_From_ **

**_Meri Bennet_ **

****

****

****

_Dear Miss Bennet_

_It makes my heart sad to hear that Merlin has died, but I should have expected it. I can tell you Merlin's birthday because it was the day hecame to work for me. 7th May 1909 at 3 o'clock in the morning. His mother never let him forget it either._

_Merlin came from the countryside a small hamlet called Eldor, I do not know if it even exists anymore. His father died when he was quite young during the first world war. I think his mother remarried a while after and this meant Merlin could go to school, I remember Merlin loving his step father._

_Merlin worked for me as a groom, he looked after the horses. He had such a knack for it. The horses we kept for pleasure by then, so Merlin and I met frequently, he was head groom, a respectable position, he loved the creatures and cared for them greatly._

_From Arthur Pendragon_

****

**_Dear Lord Pendragon_ **

****

**_I am glad to know more about my dear great uncle. I know that Merlin was 30 when he joined the RAF in 1940. He never talked much about the war, but his plane was shot down and he was captured, before being released after the war. He never told anyone about what happened while he was captured, I can only imagine the horrors he underwent._ **

****

**_My great uncle never married, but he wasn't lonely, Gwaine was his best friend, and stayed with Merlin till the end. He didn't have any children either, and I think that he was saddened by this. He loved my mother very much and when myself and my two brothers where born he doted on us a lot. My brothers are both younger than me, Andrew who is now 17 and Arthur who is 15, Merlin suggested the name._ **

****

**_From Meri Bennet_ **

****


End file.
